1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processing systems, and more particularly to such systems having heterogeneous resources.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The interconnection of various computer system to form a larger distributed data processing system has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years. One example of such a system is the interconnection of personal computers via Local Area Networks (LAN). Another example is the interconnection of personal computers to a larger server computer, such as for the internet.
A more specific example is the interconnection of personal computers to a mainframe type computer system. In this example, the personal computers may access, control and/or submit execution runs to the mainframe computer system. In this configuration, some computational tasks may be performed by the personal computer, while more complex tasks may be submitted to the mainframe computer system.
In any of the distributed data processing systems discussed above, a variety of application programs may be resident on the various computer platforms. For example, one application program may be resident on a personal computer, while a second application program may be resident on a mainframe computer system. In this example, the personal computer may execute the first application program locally, and may remotely access, control and/or submit execution runs to the second application program.
Rather than providing separate applications on each computer platform, a distributed application program may be provided. A distributed application program typically has a number of components, or portions, wherein each of the portions are resident on a different computer platform. For example, a distributed transaction processing system may be used to process a transaction, such as an airline reservation. The transaction may be initiated by a travel agent signed onto a personal computer. A reservation software product may have a first portion that is resident on the personal computer and a second portion that is resident on the mainframe. The portion that is resident on the personal computer may provide a user interface for accepting information from the travel agent. After accepting the information, the user information may be assembled, and a request may be provided to the mainframe computer system. The portion of the reservation product that is resident on the mainframe may receive the request from the personal computer, and may provide a transaction manager to coordinate the request.
Setting up application programs on multiple computer platforms is often a time consuming, tedious, and error prone task. Address and communication protocols must typically be configured. In addition, there are often a number of configuration type files which need to be updated or created to allow the different application programs to communicate with one another. These and other configuration tasks typically required a relatively large amount of technical knowledge, including the detailed file format procedures and architectures of the various computer platforms. This is even more difficult when heterogeneous computer platforms having different hardware and software architectures are used.